157 Comments

best feeling today? Turning the page without reading more than Jack Todd’s headline. Wow, way to go Jack, you made it to a game? This guy must have photos of the editor tucked away somewhere. Take your boring, predictable bad karma somewhere else. YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST…. Idiot.

Gomez is at 7.5 next year, 5.5 the next and 4.5 the final year. Read a good article not long ago stating teams such as panthers and coyotes that are well below cap can afford to pick up a Gomer style contract at this point so… Who knows what this offseason can bring. Maybe more cap space for MTL for free agent pick ups.

That “MTL Stand Up” song is so embarrassing. Is it just me? I mean that is corny to the power of William Hung. All the song does is justify the pansy image that the rest of the NHL views this organization with.

You have tons of playoff teams using war like songs to get their fanbase going because the playoffs are a war…the Habs respond with the Nhl’s answer to tween pop.

That felt good…rant aside this game means it all. Winner wins the series in my eyes. Get that first goal boys!

In regards to the D situation Hammer’s contract is up but he’s willing to come back for less in a minor role for next year… I would gladdly resign him. Spacek has a year left if not mistaken and if we could dump him I would. Markov signed with us for less than he could get elsewhere before because he loves playing here so I see no reason, under the circumstances of the last few seasons, why he wouldn’t repeat, say 3 years at 4 million a pop. Big G is a defenite return. Wiz obviously likes it here but his price may be steep. At 4 mill for 4 years should keep him in the mix.

3 X 4M for Markov? Keep dreaming. He’ll get 5-6M per year on the open market without breaking a sweat. The only people really sweating the injury/contract link are in Montreal. The rest of the league (esp. our pal Burke) is hoping beyond hope that we lowball the guy out of town so he can be snapped up.

The team makes the fewest mistakes and capitalizes on their opponents’ ones will win.

So much for run and gun.

Nevertheless, the Habs need to press their opponent and play hard. No nonchalance or waking up in the 3rd with a deficit. Although I might like to see a comeback win if only for a little added excitement, my blood pressure might beg to differ so I am hoping the Habs get the lead early and never look back.

Jack Todd takes any excuse to denigrate Scott Gomez as part of his ongoing attack on Bob Gainey (in which the elephant ignores the gnat, to the gnat’s intense anguish.)

That aside, the most contemptible aspect of this latest screed is the stance of the gnat’s narrative, which is “the hugely-experienced NHL coach is behind the bench making line decisions: I the hack journalist am way up in the Press Box…and I see things better and know things better that the coach.”

And the men in white suits will be appearing at poor Mr. Todd’s shabby residence any minute now….

Man, the sense of superiority just oozes out of you as you respond to Todd’s column not with valid points but with an ad hominem attack – the weakest form of argument.

Todd is certainly correct in his assessment of the Gainey move. It was a colossal error – almost unexplainable in its stupidity. Sather should have shipped us some players to eat that contract. Instead, we send out not one, but two possible NHL defensemen and Chris Higgins.

As for Todd’s contention that Gomez is on the ice too often, and that bad things often result, that sentiment is expressed a few dozen times a day here by posters who watch every second of every game.

Dear O Place of Rest: (tu quoque: your last sentence is the same type of argument that you accuse me of making against Mr. Todd–properly speaking an argumentum ad baculum. ;–)

I don’t think that I am arguing fallaciously in my post — neither do you in your reply: you ask a valid question. My answer is that it is is not one or the other but both — I have an overdetermination of reasons for my disdain for Mr. Todd’s writing. For instance, I additionally find him insipid in comparison to the writer whom he replaced at the Gazette, Michael Farber: I spent some years enjoying Mr. Farber’s column’s in the paper Gazette here in the university Library in the pre-internet days.

Mr. Todd attacking Scot Gomez is not sufficient to draw a response: birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim, and Jack Todd has to hate. And lots of posters here hate Gomez as much as he does (and as you do.)

No, I limited my post to the aspect of the article that I found — and still find — asinine: its position that the journalist up in the PressBox is a superior evaluator and tactician in an NHL playoff match than a coach at ice-level with the credentials of Jacques Martin.

I believe that if you were to adopt the dispassionate position that you (quite reasonably) urge upon me, you will find that on this point (and of course others) you and I are in agreement.

My addendum was in the form of a question and not, as such, attached to the argument presented. It was indeed ad hominem – but in an inquisitive way, for your animus toward Mr. Todd seems to have as its source far more than his observations regarding the continued ineptitude of one Scott Carlos Gomez.

To return to that argument – I felt that Todd’s description of his bird’s-eye view was intended to enlighten television viewers as opposed to the coaching staff. The coaches wouldn’t have been able to jump on the ice and yank him. It’s not clear at this time whether they are displeased with Gomez or not.

Todd’s article was very laudatory to both Plekanec and Darche, so the blanket characterization of the column as negative by many posters would seem in error.

There’s no balance in Todd’s analysis. Gomez is all bad and there’s nothing good about him in his estimation.

My issue, and I think that is where Todd needs to focus his attention, is with JM. IMO it is JM who has enabled this horrendous season Gomez is having. For all JM’s positives he does tend to over rely on his veterans.

However if you look at the long term it works more often than not. So we bitch and moan because we hate it. When it works we accept it. When it doesn’t people find the weakest link to attack it. Last season it was Price. This season it’s Gomez.

Todd makes some valid criticisms of Gomez’ play but his article is all attack and no balance. Todd is just appealing to the lowest common denominator with his article.

So JT was a little harsh on Gomez, so what, now the same monkeys on this site that b&tch@d ‘ bout Gomer’s play all year come to his defence and slam Todd as bitter and draft dodger. GET REAL!!!!! He made good points IMHO. Tough love is the best wake-up call. I enjoy reading Todd. Keep up the good work.

With the game tonight and a cruise just around the corner, not a whole lot of production going on from my cubicle.

I expect the Habs to come out and continue where they left off in the third period the other night. The know that they can’t let the Broons get a step on them like they did on Monday. If the Broons sense the Habs are going to lay back, they are going to push like they did in the 1st.

Oh that rascal Todd, writing what he knows will stir up the most controversy. Ya, it’s a Benny conspiracy is what it is. I wonder why Todd was unable to watch the rest of that game or the previous two?

Someone was wondering about +/- for Wiz since he got here from NYI. He was +4 in the regular season with the Habs. 7G 23A since joining us. It would be great if we could have Wiz, Markov, Subban and Gorges as a top 4 D next year.

Of course, that supposes a number of things…how to clear cap space for Subban after next year when he comes off the entry level contract. And do we pay Spacek $3.83M as #5/6 Dman or do we somehow trade him? Anyway, it would be nice to keep Wiz.

This could be Markov’s last kick at the can. He is 32 years old. Sure, I’d like to think he likes it in Montreal, and considering his injury problems, he would sign for a home team discount. But it must be awfully tempting to go where he can get the most and for the longest term. There is probably someone crazy enough to give him $22M for 4 years. That’s what his agent will be whispering in his ear all spring.

Yes, these careers are short at the best of times. In the end it is mainly about the money. But our defence has done resonably well in his absence. We’ll have Gorges back and we’re in the driver’s seat to lock up PK for the future. There’s a lot of turnover on the back end and Molson needs to throw around some money but does it have to be with such a wild card as Markov. Better to give a healthy, gritty guy like Wiz a longterm offer.

the pp has to produce…hard to predict hab games because even when twe play well and get lots of goal scoring chances we have too many forwards who are not finishers..over the last 2 years there have been so many games where posters post that the opposition goalie is playing his best game ever or he is lucky but somehow i think in many occasions it has more to do with our forwards…

agree with you habs001, as much i love the heart and intensity of Moen, Darche, Pyatt, Halpern, White we just don’t have many finishers outside of Cammy and Gio. This is where we miss Max-Pac the most. That oversized skilled hands forward.

gomer never see’s the pine when his -15 was staring JM in the face game after game all season long. Or his lazy backchecking on bergeron’s goal in game 2. Or cammy’s lacklustre play after coming back from injury. Or moen, doing nothing out there game after game, AK46 getting free pass’s night after night. The only guys this coach will bench is eller, DD, pouliot, weber, white or pk. there’s the hypocrisy! He’s quick with the trigger with these guys, but turns a blind eye with the vets! In the dance, a team needs 4 strong lines going, not 3. Give benny a chance, with more than 3 or 4 minutes a game, he could be a difference maker in a tight game, if he’s not tripping over the blueline!!

The league is littered with young ex Canadiens players now flourishing under a non-Martin regime, he gives up too easily on them and Pouliot is a prime example of him being unable to get the best out of a youngster with tons of potential. If Muller’s so valuable why doesn’t he make BP his pet project?

“This has to be the mother of all brain-dead decisions.” – Red Fisher on the Jaroslav Halak trade.

It’s the playoffs. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. Just because a team scores first doesn’t mean that they will win the game. How long have you been watching hockey? Because with talk like this it’s as if you’ve never even watched the sport before. Do you even recall the habs coming back from being down 5-0?

Best and truest Jack Todd article ever.
Gomez was good the first game. But he was back to himself by the 2nd game. He was the goat on the one goal in that 4-1 win, not working hard enough to check his man in front of the net. And last game was equally useless with bad passes and no penetration. Blocking Plekanec from getting on the ice was the icing on the cake for this Habs saboteur.

If we don’t go far in the playoffs, the only possible consolation is that management sees what a waste of space Gomez is and bites the financial bullet to put him in the AHL.

Good thing we get to read your insightful info. Nice to hear from someone inside the locker room.

Must be nice to be able to blame the same person on a daily basis, eh?! Gomez may have been one of a few players that played shit last game. Unfortunately you completely ignore them to maintain your focus on Gomez.

Hey, at least you’re consistent!

————————————————————————
Welcome to the newer NHL: The National Head-shots League.

I don’t think Todd has ever written a “true article” since his columns are only his opinion. Some may agree with it but most will not as he just rants to be controversial and draw attention. I feel a little sorry for those who share his dark view on various issues.

Gomez or any other player will not be responsible for a series win or loss. It is a team game and every team has a cap to manage to the best of their ability. Each has a player or two that they feel is overpaid (Gomez) or underpaid (Price) based upon their performance. Unless all players were “socialized” in a free market system this will always be the case which bodes well for Todd and anyone who looks at trees instead of the forest.

The Bruins are over confident. They think they were the better team for all three games so far.

“It was a good start, a better start for us. The whole 60 minutes, it was a good game. The first two games weren’t awful. It’s just that those turnovers, they capitalized on them the first couple games.’’ – Andrew Ference Boston Bruins

If the Bruins feel content then it is good for the Canadiens because they know they were the better team and can play even more better. Halpern will be back in the lineup and that will strengthen the forward lines and face-offs.

“It’s too much for one guy to shoulder. For us, we’re going to do it as a group. It’s about sharing that responsibility win or lose.” – Mike Cammalleri

As I said yesterday, I would have preferred Halpy at his natural centre position and Dez in the press box, with Benny in for a bit more size and dare I say it, toughness. No matter, the HIO nutritionist believe that Benny would benefit from extra hot dogs –all dressed — and so be it. Let’s hope the boys show up tonight better prepared than last game and send the Bruins packing early.

Really hope the players wives aren’t making them pick up the kids again today and bagging groceries. I mean Don Cherry can’t be wrong when he comes up with these insightful reasons for when we lose can he?

Some in the open mouth brigade have their whipping boys. I remember Terry Harper’s boo birds, Brisebois, Lemaire, Patrick Roy, their fickle-ness knows no bounds. There are many guys here who even dump on Halak, go figure that.

“This has to be the mother of all brain-dead decisions.” – Red Fisher on the Jaroslav Halak trade.

So it’s only eight and a half hours or so until puck drop, but I cannot wait to see some redempetion tonight.

It’s easy to forget just what sort of collective heart this team has. A number of pundits, prognosticators and other “P” people suggested the Canadiens would lose this series in a laugher. Knocked out in four or five games if they were lucky, they said.

As a fan, would you have been able to live with the Canadiens being tied at two games after the first four had been played? I know I would have been. Surely, very few will remember things in this context if, by some chance, the Bruins manage to pull out another victory tonight. Our “worst case scenario” now is being tied after four games? Certainly better than watching handshakes, isn’t it?

But something tells me they won’t. It’s because of that whole “heart” thing. No, you don’t just win games on will alone, but the Canadiens have the tools it takes to beat the Bruins. Many of us knew this going into the series and the first two games and the second half of the last game proved that to be the case.

Tonight though? I just want my ears to ring, for the post-game discussion to be dulled by the buzzing in my ears after the fans are all treated to free wings at Cage. Permanent hearing loss matters less when you see your team go up 3-1 in a series very few said they could win.

Win it for Max. And boys, Chara should be ‘bothered’ every shift, get him off his game. Halpern (11g) won’t do any better than whipping boy Benoit “It’s all his fault” Pouliot (13g). It’s all down to Price. If he blows two goals like he did in the last game he’ll sink the ship again. If he plays the way he did in Boston, Habs win.

“This has to be the mother of all brain-dead decisions.” – Red Fisher on the Jaroslav Halak trade.

Red Fisher meant it was brain dead to trade the playoff hero and proven performer. The brain dead move was obviously compounded by trading Jaro for nothing. You don’t think Jaro was up to being number one? GaineyGauthier could have gotten more for Price and they *should* have gotten more for Halak.

“This has to be the mother of all brain-dead decisions.” – Red Fisher on the Jaroslav Halak trade.

So the day is upon us. Our beloved Montreal Canadiens face off against the hated Boston Bruins in a pivotal game four. The Bruins have been off in Lake Placid bonding and practising while the Habs have been hanging around and practising in the busy city of Montreal.

The main key to tonight’s game is the jump off the hop. We definitely don’t want to be scored on first but the most important thing is playing intense and smart hockey right from the opening whistle. Last game Montreal was a little too at ease in the opening period, thinking that they could trap Boston and capitalize on their mistakes but they let off the gas pedal a little too much.

We need crisp passes. We need to exit out zone quickly and efficiently. Most importantly, we need to be right on top of the slower Bruins when they have possession of the puck and make them chase us around when they don’t.

Speed, accuracy and intensity from the drop of the puck will give us the victory tonight.

* Halpern in, Poolio out. If someone has to sit, the math is simple: One of only two players on the team with zero shots on net – the other guy’s a D-man – and a lack of discipline, likely due to an urge to overcompensate. It’s not the end of the world, it’s just bidness.

* Looks, however, like Halp will wing Larry. Presumably, the thinkin’ is Larry’s strength down the middle is more important than Halp’s superior faceoff proficiency. Maybe Larry should endeavour to get thrown out just enough times.

* Heh. The Broonz coach talks about his team hangin’ around Lake Placid, “The guys had a chance to walk around. I thought they seemed really relaxed…” What you saw wasn’t really relaxed, you big bowl of dumb, it was boredom. Bored out of their freakin’ skulls. For the love of man, there’s absolutely nothin’ to do in that hellhole of nothin’ to do. They’ve got a store called, Where’d You Get That Hat? smack downtown. There’s also a Just Bead It. Unlike yesterday, I’m not makin this shite up. “Hey, anyone seen Z?”“Yeah! He’s checking out some kickass glassblowing! I gotta get in on that action, gang!”

* Here’s hopin’ the Broonz are equally bored tonight. Unfortunately, the danger is they’re so mentally frazzled from crawlin’ the walls at The Knitted Quilt B&B, they’re ready to kill someone. The Habs are gonna have to come out hard.

* I’m not even gonna touch Tommy Timmins’ manufactured tripe about Jim Craig bein’ an inspiration. Your dad had the fattest wallet so you got to be goalie, dude. End of story.

* Ok, then.

* Another roller-coaster night of playoff hockey. Had the PIP goin’ for both TB-Pens and Caps-Sathers. Sathers blew a tire and the series. Also have to wonder if Rollie’s woken up yet, cause he was asleep at the switch in OT. Best story: Miller shines, Richards elbows, Carter sidelines, and Lavvy ex-plodes. Go Sabres Go!

And I think you speak to a good point here with Benny. His lack of discipline is just that – an effort to overcompensate. He is an engima, to be sure. But that charging penalty came from him trying to bring energy to his team. Over simplification to say, “Well, he meant well!”? I don’t know if he’s taking too many sudafeds before the game or what it is, but hes amped which is better than being disinterested.

At what point do you give up? Was it right to give up on Sergei Kostitsyn?

Poolio has too much raw talent, and has come too far under the Habs’ umbrella, to lose him for cents-on-the-dollar.

Toss him a qualifyin’ offer for one year, which I think for his salary range is the same money he made this year, and put him through a regimen to end all regimens durin’ the off-season, with an emphasis on leg strength.

Does anyone know what radio station the Habs game will be broadcasted on this evening? I have to drive from Toronto back to Kingston to my parents place for Easter, and I’ll hit rush hour exiting Toronto which means i’ll miss at least the first period.

I think i read before it was channel 800? Anyone confirm or deny this?

You have no chance of getting the game on CJAD 800 west of Kingston on the 401. You may have luck with the Boston broadcast if it’s still on AM though from a quick web search it looks to have moved to FM. Anyway try 1030AM after dark.

Thanks for the response, it was helpful. I have limited knowledge when it comes to radio broadcasts. I’ll do some searching around and it all else fails, I’ll have to cruise down the 401 flipping through each and every AM radio station until something comes up. I have a feeling that will be more distracting for me than if i were talking on two cell phones and strumming a guitar with my feet.

You used to be able to the audio from the CBC on the first FM station on the dial, 87.7 FM. I don’t think thats the case anymore, not entirely sure…?

You may be able to flick around on the AM dial because there’s some mega strong signals coming from the States. I’ve heard hockey and baseball games coming from 1000s of miles south of the border while driving between Toronto and Montreal.

Todd’s Gomez article, sums up what a lot of fans have been thinking. That said, if he can bring his game up to another level, and, help take the Habs deep into the playoffs, all will be forgiven desite a brutal year in which he certainly appears to be washed up. If not, either he returns next year with a much more determined attitude, or, he HAS to go to Hamilton.

I trust that the players and Martin will be better prepared to play 60 min tonite. Games last night showed that as the series’ get deeper, the 1st goal is not the game. It should be another tight and exciting game with both teams bringing their best. Will the Habs be able to keep their early hold on the series or do the B’s get off the mat and bring the series is back to square 1?? Real time! Real drama! Real sports! Love it!!!

Jack Todd’s article is repetitive and unhelpful. It really doesn’t offer any real insight into Gomez as a player or the Habs team.

Here are some of my own thoughts, which may not be true, but are some things that help me to think outside the box on why Gomez is not scratched.

First (and least originally), we don’t have a lot of depth for centers right now and so it would be hard to sit a guy who can (and has) skated like the wind for the most part. He gives our opponents enough trouble that they back up and give up space. Gomez, from what I’ve seen, can consistently gain the zone.

Second, a lot of guys are probably playing injured (and this is my more relevant and less repetitive point), if a coach like JM has to weigh out factors like injuries and guys playing beat up, then there may be a very good reason to have Gomez on ice as much as he is. We don’t know who’s playing banged up and how banged up they are. JM does. And he has to weigh that out every night and put on the guys that give us the best chance in any given situation. Gomez himself might not be shooting well because of a bunged up shoulder, wrist, hand or something.

I’m sick of hearing the Gomez whining from Habs fans. Fine, he sucked during the regular season and we complained every step of the way. But it’s playoffs, and the negativity is only one more problem that the Habs can do without.

I too am sick of the Gomez whining and am surprised the Gazette would print such drivel from Todd, especially considering Gom’s central role in our game 1 victory, and his willingness to go the net in game 3, even if he couldn’t convert the tying goal.

But don’t worry too much about blog-o-sphere negativity. What we say here makes no difference to the Habs whatsoever.

Jack Todd is a doush bag Obviously. Without Gomez we’re not up in the series 2-1.
And im my opinion Gomez was 1st star in game #1.
If Gomez plays again tonight like he did in games 1, 2 and 3 I’ll be happy.
I think Gomer, Plecks, Gio, Cammy and AK have all got more levels to their game than the B’s…Gomer may not have been a shining star in the regular season, but I think his playoff preformace deserves some credit.
Booo to Jack Todd.

Disagree. There was food for thought when he said “So what comes of all this? (the Gomie thing) Why, Benoit Pouliot becomes a healthy scratch, of course. Pouliot makes a convenient scapegoat.”
This got me thinkin cuz I caught “Le Match” last night and they were goin on about how my boy was gettin the shaft and whaddaya expect with a guy playin 3 mins a game in a role he shouldn’t be in to begin with and I couldn’t BELIEVE what I was hearin.
It gets better: they send someone with a mike to Brossard to talk to the folks what they thought of my boy gettin scratched and all but ONE guy said he was gettin the shaft too, that despite his occasional boneheadedness, that his talent was too tremendous to casually toss aside.
Now look, you all know I’m the guy’s biggest supporter, but golly-gee, you gotta give me SUMPIN to argue with. Even with TWO minutes a game on a 4th line, I KNOW that Sidney Crosby will manage to pick up points. Because he’s got GAME.
If you got GAME, you BRING game, even with your skates on your hands and your gloves on your feet.
Point is: if Poolio had scored in the last 25, he’d have SUMPIN to argue with and maybe wouldn’t be sitting tonight. Poolio didn’t bring no game, so what the hell are we missing with him out? Nuthin. Sadly so, but there it is.
I love the guy’s talent, but like I always say: it’s just business.
And I wanna win.

didn’t Latendresse use to get less ice time than he deserved and third and fourth line minutes when he CLEARLY deserved top line minutes. Pouliot is another soft player better suited in a different division. The Northeast is a tough division. Look at SK74 kicking tail over in Nashville…what more needs to be said. the pressure pot kills some guys.

Look Gomez is annoying yeah. But comparing him to Pouliot is a joke.
No Gomez? No two assists in game one. Possible loss. No Pouliot? No stupid penalty in game three and no falling down 30 times in game one through three.

What a joke about the Bruins getting inspiration from Lake Placid and the Olympic win there by the USA. Julien speaking to the glory of the buliding and the inspiration it brings to the team. Well Jlien is a CANADIAN born in Ontario!!!

The Bruins have TWO american players that are to young to remember the USA win. They have EIGHTEEN CANADIAN players on the roster and some europeans thrown in to the mix. What a Joke!! Why doesn’t the site or the Gazette, for that matter, write this up. These guys are a joke man.

The one and only reason that Julien took the Bruins to Placid is to keep the players away from the fabulous Montreal night life and its beautiful women!!

In order to bring back both Wiz and Markov, next year’s D would probably have to look something like this:
PK
Gorges (has to be signed)
Gill (should be signed, if only to keep PK progressing)
Spacek
Markov
Wiz

Currently Markov, Hammer, Wiz and Gorges make a total of 15.6 million. Hammer’s deal is done and he ain’t comin’ back. Markov at this point will not be offered more than 6 million, and I suspect it could be a fair bit less considering his health the last few seasons. Wiz will not get more than 5 or 5.5 from anyone. Gorges, no more than 3 to 3.5. So, at the top end of all that it adds up to 15 mil., which is a savings of .6.

There are plenty of details there on salary projections, cap space, and where this question fits in with the team’s larger salary structure picture.

Recent news about the new NHL deal with Versus will mean the cap probably rises to $63M+ next season, which means that Montreal can make room for Markov and the Wiz short-term, but probably has to leave the door open for one of them to exit when Carey, PK and Max Pac all graduate to large contracts in seasons to come.

I think, lets secure the quality of our transition game and
that of our PP for the years to come….. keeping all three
(Markov, Wiz, P.K.) will do just that and more…. the remaining
members of our D squad would be composed of good but relativelly innexpensive shutdown type defensement.

Is anyone else as impressed by Wiz as I am? He has really elevated his game, especially in his own end. I would be curious to know what his +/- has been since he has been in Montreal. I suspect that teams with money and cap space (Toronto?) will be coveting him.

PG may very well have another “him or him” type decision this off season, this time Wiz or Markov as I doubt they can both be signed. Make no mistake, I really, really like Markov, but this is the third post season in a row that he will not be playing in the most important games of the season and I wonder if PG will decide that he can’t take a chance on making it 4 in a row.

Very disappointed in Slayd’s second rendition. Do we really need to hear a sappy, politically-correct, get-the-fans-on-my-side, head-shot-critiquing, Pac-Man-lamenting repeat of his FIRST song?
It just sounds like brown-nosing to me. And weak brown-nosing at that. His first song was excellent; there was no crying in it. Why not put that one up here?
And why am I such a cynical bastich?

To each his own, I suppose, because I love the video. I think I’ve listened to it at least 30 times by now. Gets me really pumped up for the games.

The song isn’t only about the Pacioretty incident. There are some great parts about the Bell Center, PK, the Canadiens-Bruins history… And it’s 1,000 times better than that terrible Virgin Radio song with Jacynthe.

The team will be ready tonight. We will play a solid complete game and bring back nightmares to Boston of what it means to play the Habs in the playoffs. No matter what our roster looks like, when we get the lead back to 3-1 all the Boston nightmares of Habs Series past will start to get in their heads. Let’s go tonight, play a complete game and the results should take care of themselves.

I don’t think a loss tonight should be characterised as a disaster if it happens. Not what we want but certainly not a disaster. We’re playing with “house money” right now in my opinion. If Boston happen to win tonight then the pressure goes back on their shoulders. They will be expected to win at home and thus the series. I think all of us would have gladly taken 2-2 after 4 games. I’ll never admit defeat until we’ve lost the last game.

10 – more wins and we’re in the Stanley Cup final
9 – more periods left to play in this series (I picked Montreal to win in six)
8 – Number of goals scored this season by Gomez and Spacek. Just sayin’
7 – inches above six feet = Hal Gill’s height = tower of strength on defence
6 – Montreal’s Top 6 forwards have to play like Top 6 forwards
5 – FIVE GOLDEN RINGS!
4 – Take a bow, Mr. Beliveau
3 – Periods. 60 minutes of hockey. Not 40. Not 20. 60 minutes.
2 – Goals scored by Habs tonight
1 – Whew! Number of goals scored by Bruins tonight
0 – Number of Stanley Cup rings won by members of current roster while a Hab.
Subject to change.

Although the Todd story on Gomez is merited, it still leads me to wonder if this hack ever have written anything positive about the Habs. I do remember him apologizing for his comments about Carey Price earlier in the year, but I still wouldn’t chalk that up as a positive story, merely a weasle trying to rectify his moronic message.

I also wonder if he thinks we’re all too stupid to remember the original reference to the “Donut” comment, concerning the Shutt, Mahovlich, LaFleur line. Hey Toad, have you ever had an original thought concerning our game?

In my opinion, Todd should go back to reporting about the spring flowers in Montreal, something he seems to be better suited for, because he is not a hockey writer.

He’s a bitter and twisted man who sees himself as an arbiter or ombudsman vs highly paid professional athletes who don’t or won’t recognize him as either: a best selling novelist or Pulitzer Prize winning journalist in waiting!

It consumes him, to the point where his pieces are very monochromatic and negative bordering on repetitive and boring!

———————————————————————-
…..My empire is crumbling, my international sponsors are deserting me, my authority is questioned, I am held in contempt wherever I go.

The funniest thing about Todd is his crusade against Lebron James for leaving Cleveland. If anyone should be sympathetic to deserting something and not wanting to have a draft determine his career, it is Todd. Draft dodging COUNTRY deserter that he is….
Why the Gazette continues to buy his rubbish is beyond me….

Dave, I couldn’t even finish reading it. I started and was struck by the thought that I’ve read it before with different names. Pathetic excuse for journalism. An appeal to the lowest common denominator: bitter jealousy.

I feel bad for Pouliot but it’s an easy call for Martin, you can’t miss a guy who’s done less than nothing. I hate talented guys that don’t seem to be able to figure out talent means nothing without effort. You’d think playing with a guy like Metropolit last year might have shown this guy something, but it never does, does it?

Has anyone looked at Gomez’s front-loaded contract. Does anyone understand what it means to sign a front-loaded contract? Gomez earns Kostitsyn money in his last two years of his contract. We will be paying him 4 million per season in year six and seven of his deal. My bet is that is when we will see the real Gomez–a reasonably good second line center!